


Metamorphosis

by Lavaga



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Banishment, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Body Modification, Demons, Gen, Hell, Metamorphosis, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 20:40:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15251631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavaga/pseuds/Lavaga
Summary: In the depths of Hell, three incompetent demons are banned on Earth by Lucifer himself to tempt all the humans they meet. But for their plan to work, they have to blend in the crowd…





	Metamorphosis

Biblical descriptions of Hell can barely describe the horrors that one actually saw there.

In these gurgling depths like bowels, immense columns of basalt were diving into rivers of liquid fire, from where occasional islands and atolls were emerging. […]

Despite the sweaty and overwhelming heat, flies, maggots, and other delights would stock up on human corpses littering the sharp-edged ground, brought down here by some ghoul in search of a more exotic dish. All this and the dried blood that covered the floor and ceiling with black exhaled a pestilential smell, barely bearable for ordinary mortals. It was a place where silence had refused to venture, always gutted by hysterical laughter, Enochian songs, and lamentations and paralyzing howls, more or less human depending on the time of day.

In this archipelago of terror, three demons were having lunch with each other. Delighting in a young man’s guts, their dementia was reflected in their shiny, dilated eyes. Their long, yellowed claws were frantically cutting through all the pieces of meat they found, and filthy gargoyles escaped from their mouths dripping with blood, juices and viscous saliva. And when the precious meal was touching their crumpled lips, a set of teeth stained with coagulated blood would seize them, and the infernal creatures would wave their heads in all directions to tear up enough to swallow without choking.

While they were enjoying their find, a fourth demon tried an approach. He tried to lift his heavy forked tail in the air to make as little noise as possible, but it was his large clawed legs that replaced it. When he was close enough to the group, he stretched out his wing with bony fingers to help himself. So close to the goal. He salivated with envy, but a demon, the most imposing among them, turned abruptly and gave him a blow of claws while hurling at him. The thief was destabilized and fell, his face bloody. He, too, began to scream in pain, while his attacker nagged at him in their strange language:

**“Metzyen ! How many times have I told you it's time for you to hunt your own food?! »**

The so-called buried his face in his shoulders and covered it with small wings that adorned his temples, as a sign of submission. His whining came out in a plaintive cooing:

**"I won't do it again, Achlan…  
**\- Don't _ever_ call me by my first name again! ”** He violently interrupted the other by moving his threatening jaws towards him, ready to shred him.**

Immediately one of his companions, the youngest, surrounded him and stuck his hideous face to his own while emitting slight clicks aimed at appeasing his elder. The last one, the oldest, merely hissed in the direction of the impertinent. The latter was about to turn around, his tail between his legs, when a thunderous voice appeared from nowhere..:

****“My sons, come to me, ”** ** it called.

The three demons placed their tails between their legs and looked at each other in turn. Then they each nodded before setting off. The last one wanted to follow them, but the youngest dissuaded him:

****“No, not you. We'll call you when the time comes. »** **

His mouth twisted into a sort of reassuring grin, then he sprinted to join his brothers. They all headed towards a kind of sinkhole whose bottom could not be seen, towards which they leaned, their long ears upright. The voice was heard once again, and at that precise moment the three demons covered their faces with their wings, trembling..:

******"You _disappoint_ me. You, Sons of Lucifer, are a _disgrace_ to the Underworld as a whole. »** ** **

This sermon left them helpless, and all let out a long squeal. The voice continued, the anger making its volume rise in crescendo:

********"You are quarrelsome, voracious, and so lazy that you would rather steal the remains of others than go out Above to hunt. And you, Zedoniel, are you setting a bad example for your cadets and daring to teach other siblings? _You embarrass me! »_** ** ** **

The eldest bowed down humbly, accepting the admonitions of his master and progenitor. In a low voice he begged:

**********"What can we do, Father, to save our vacillating honor? »** ** ** ** **

The other two brothers looked at each other, then stared at Zedoniel, eager. He had always been the most temperate and reasonable of the siblings, if not the proudest of all. Nevertheless, they relied on his diplomacy to negotiate a fairly lenient punishment with Lucifer. The voice of the King of demons then answered:

************"Our struggle to rally humans to our cause is wading: many of them are wavering on the Light's side before they _even_ see the light. It's deplorable…”** ** ** ** ** **

He sighed for a long time, before taking up again:

**************“You must infiltrate Up There and rally the few pagans who exist there. You will found with them an organized cult powerful enough to compete with the Christian church.** ** ** ** ** ** **

****************\- And when will we be back? ”**************** , outraged Achlan. ** ** ** ** ** ** ****“It's been _centuries_ since we've been Up There! »**** ** ** ** ** ** **

Lucifer raised his voice and retorted firmly:

******************"When I feel like it. You'll metamorphose here before a Prince leaves you with widows or spinsters. You will not arouse suspicion if you learn human customs from the scum of their society. »** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Then his voice faded and did not speak again. The three brothers met, and Achlan fulminated at the announcement of their punishment:

********************"What do we do now? ”,******************** he grumbled, ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****“ Do you know where the nearest human camp is, at least? »  
**"No idea,”********************** , Zedoniel replied, nodding. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****"I don't even think I know what they all look like anymore. Zalelan, you have a good memory, do you know anything? »****** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

The youngest one thought for a moment, then gave his opinion, sure of himself:

************************“Well, without bragging, it's true I'm a bit of an artist, so I remember _every_ detail of their anatomy. »** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

He bulged his chest as he spoke, and his arrogance was greeted with growls from Achlan, tempered by his elder. Zalelan continued:

**************************"We can reshape ourselves by melting our flesh with liquid fire.** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

****************************\- Fine, but then, _genius?_ Even when remolded, they'll know we're not one of them!** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

******************************\- Well, we don't miss much… except clean teeth and… Zedoniel, what are those colored spheres called in their eyes?** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

********************************\- Irises, I think. ”******************************** , commented the latter.

He began to head towards the rivers of fire, and instinctively the other two followed them. They continued on the way, but Zedoniel had a question:

********************************“Don't they have hair too?** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**********************************\- Not all,”********************************** , Achlan hesitated, ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****“I don't think. That'll save us a lot of work.**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

************************************\- I will make myself some,”************************************ , Zalelan enthused, palpating his bald and horny skull. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****“How soft it must be! I heard that's how they protect themselves from the cold.**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**************************************\- If you want to make it harder on yourself,"************************************** , hustled the middle child, ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **"do well! »** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

They soon arrived at their destination, but as they were about to dive their claws, they hesitated:

**************************************“How old exactly will we be? ”************************************** , Zalelan asked himself.

**************************************\- I seem to remember that only mature men can be naturally bald."************************************** , Zedoniel replied. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****"Might as well try to blend in the crowd.**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

****************************************\- And you who want hair,“**************************************** , Achlan taunted, ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****"how are you going to do it, huh?**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

******************************************\- I will use filaments of dried liquid fire,”****************************************** the youngest claimed, ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****“we will find human teeth on a corpse, and we will be able to make ourselves irises with precious stones. »**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Then he tapped his temple, raising his eyebrows:

********************************************"So? Check out this brain! »** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Achlan growled while he and his two brothers dipped their claws in the liquid fire, spreading it over the excess flesh. Where it lacked matter, they melted feldspar, on their emaciated faces for example. The two elders relied on Azazel’s aesthetic eye to guide them through their metamorphosis, and to look as human as possible. There were several failures for the three brothers, which made them laugh and start all over again. Uncomfortable with sculpture, the task took them hours.

But after so much effort, the result finally paid off. It was Zalelan who felt he had finished first, but it was Zedoniel who turned to him for some criticism:

**********************************************"So?”********************************************** , he asked apprehensively.

The youngest examined him carefully. His eldest had given himself the appearance of an old man, with a long hooked nose and pinched lips. His prominent brow arch, frowned eyebrows and chisel-sliced cheekbones gave him a severe look, but the effect was counterbalanced by his cheeks ending in whisker pads. Moreover, he was rather thin, his wrists and fine ankles supporting hands and feet traversed by veins. Finally, a somewhat soft stomach, a mature man’s natural leaning, contrasted with his rib cage, which was just under his pale skin. Zalelan nodded, admiring:

**********************************************“Very good disguise, I must admit you're talented! And you Achlan, where are you?  
**\- I was just finishing up. Check this out. »**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Achlan’s new morphology was a little different from his older brother’s, but his face was a little firmer, which made him look younger although they shared the same features. On closer examination, the youngest burst out laughing:

**************************************************"What is this fancy? »** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

He was obviously talking about the thin mustache that decorated his brother’s lip. The latter held himself up:

****************************************************"That makes me different from you two, _at least_! Besides, I hear human women love it. It's an attribute of human manhood, I think.  
**\- What about me?”****************************************************** , Zalelan asked. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****“What do you think of me?”**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Of the three demons, the youngest was the youngest-looking and most appealing. His features were even finer than Achlan’s, and a thick jet hair was cascading down his slightly wrinkled forehead. The other two brothers looked at each other, pleasantly surprised, and nodded:

********************************************************“I do not know yet how we will lead this cult to the glory of our Father,”******************************************************** Zedoniel observed with a peaceful smile, ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****“but one thing is for sure: with a body like this, you will attract _many_ disciples back to us. »**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **


End file.
